| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Jan. 24: State Legislature gets to work on 2015 session
The New Hampshire Legislature dominated news headlines this week as the Republican-led House and Senate considered a variety of measures, among them lowering business taxes and withdrawing from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
No votes on legislation of note have occurred in these early stages of the new session, but various committee are starting to hear from proponents and opponents on various issues.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee heard two bills - SB 1 and SB 2 – to reduce the business profits tax over the next four years and and lower the business enterprise tax over three years. “We’re trying to balance the needs of the state “against the need to become more competitive,” Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, said in a Union Leader story.
The House Science, Technology and Energy Committee took testimony on the bill Thursday morning to pull; the Granite State out from its participation in RGGI, the multi-state carbon cap-and trade program. Environmental officials said that without RGGI the state wouldn’t comply with proposed federal carbon pollution regulations. See an NHPR story here.
The Senate Commerce Committee heard from Sen. Andy Sanborn, R-Bedford, about his bill to allow New Hampshire residents to buy health insurance across state lines to allow more choices in the marketplace. But state health officials told the committee the differences of health plans from one state to the other aren’t dramatically different. See a Seacoast Online story here.
Law enforcement officials and domestic violence victim advocates spoke against a bill - HB 207 – that would take away an officer's right to make an arrest for an assault or violation of a protective order without a warrant unless the officer witnessed it personally or if there were two or more witnesses to the crime. See a WMUR story here.
Sponsors of a bill to study the legalization of marijuana said this week that a study would help New Hampshire address possible questions and challenges that surfaced in states that now allow it. See a Union Leader story here.
And on Friday, state Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Nick Toumpas shared a plan to address a $58 million shortfall in his current budget that ends June 30. That plan included $7 million of payment cuts to nursing homes, which drew the ire of Senate President Chuck Morse. See an NHPR story here.
In other news
Member of NH Rebellion marched from various parts of New Hampshire to Concord to raise awareness and rally against big money in politics. See a Concord Monitor story here.
The state Fish and Game Department took up two issues this week: Whether to legalize the trapping of bobcats and whether to change bait regulations as they pertain to bears. The bobcat population has grown in the state amidst concerns of them preying on domestic animals. See an NHPR story here. And Fish and Game is worried about bears dying after eating bait of chocolate. See a Concord Monitor story here.
Paid sick leave, a constitutional convention, and flags on law enforcement uniforms were among the topics we tackled this week on our Facebook page. Come and join the discussion and join us back here next week.
Live Free or Die Alliance
www.livefreeordiealliance.org
Source: http://townhall.livefreeordiealliance.org/xn/detail/4091641:BlogPost:69316
